The German region is due to host the summer edition of the Games in two years' time and travelled to Lake Placid as part of the International University Sport Federation's (FISU) observer programme.

A party of six people made the trip, including the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 chief executive.

Head of staff Eliza Loeffler and chief sports officer Sina Diekmann were also part of the group.

"Our main focus was to simply take in as many impressions from Lake Placid as possible," said Loeffler.

"It was all about breathing in the whole event and getting the experience of how FISU Games are organised."

The group shadowed Lake Placid staff who were doing similar jobs to what they are due to be tasked with in two-years time.

"We also had a look at the roles none of us six covers, to take home useful information for our colleagues in German," Loeffler added.

"The local Organising Committee basically runs you through all the functions and areas of the event.

"They talk about their preparation over the past two years and deliver the hard facts you need to know as the next FISU Games hosts.

"Lake Placid was definitely a good start into the new year that showed us we're moving into the right direction."

Rhine-Ruhr 2025 has proposed a spread out venue plan across five cities - Bochum, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Essen and Mülheim.

A new headquarters has just been opened in Düsseldorf.

"It was very rewarding and informative, we will definitely take a lot of benefits from having gone to Lake Placid," said Diekmann.

"We wanted to get a feeling of the atmosphere among the delegations, at the opening and medal ceremonies, and just the whole atmosphere at a FISU event in general.

"Rhine-Ruhr is a very densely populated area in Germany, which could be beneficial compared to Lake Placid. 

"But of course, we will face other challenges instead. 

"Rhine-Ruhr will be organised as a five location concept. 

"Coordinating all these locations and the people working there requires a lot of communication and detailed planning. 

"The goal is to ultimately merge those five locations into one big, shared event."

Rhine-Ruhr 2025 said they would carry on with a sustainability theme which Lake Placid organisers promoted.

"Sustainability nowadays should be a fundamental and self-evident aspect for every event organising team," Diekmann said.

"That's why for Rhine-Ruhr, we won't build any new facilities."

Other future FISU Games also took part in the Lake Placid observer programme, including Turin 2025 and North Carolina 2029.

Rhine-Ruhr 2025 is due to take place between July 16 and 27.